February 25: Bangkok, Thailand
Four Seasons Hotel

February 27: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Crowne Plaza Mutiara

February 29: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Rex Hotel

March 1: Guangzhou, China
China Hotel I Marriott Hotel

March 3: Beijing, China
Swissotel

March 4: Shanghai, China
JW Marriott Hotel

Most education fairs begin around 6:00p.m. and last until 8:00p.m. or 9:00p.m.

A machine that took 229 steps to squeeze an orange put Ferris State University in the Guinness Book of World Records. In 2010, the Big Rapids University sent a team of four to Japan to try to beat its own record by designing an even more complex Rube Goldberg machine.

Professor Thomas Hollen, adviser to Ferris State’s Rube Goldberg team and students Mike Dunakin of Grand Rapids, Kyle Hebner of Oscoda and Bryan Williams of Lupton left January 3, 2010 for two weeks in Tokyo. The mission: to “create a bigger and better ‘Toy Factory’ that can squeeze the juice of an orange in even more steps.”

“It is going to take some work, but it is nice to have an opportunity to try and beat our old record,” Dunakin said in a statement before the trip.

The Ferris State team’s record-setting machine also won the annual Rube Goldberg Machine Competition. It’s named for Reuben Garret L. Goldberg, co-founder of the American National Cartoonist Society. Goldberg earned lasting fame for his Rube Goldberg machines that perform simple tasks in exceedingly complex ways.

While the students were unable to get their machine to work for the television cameras, competitions such as these embody the spirit of the hands on practical training that students receive at Ferris State University. Students in majors such as Mechanical Engineering, Electrical/Electronics Engineering Technology, and Product Design Engineering Technology are well suited to participating in competitions such as the Rube Goldberg Machine.

To see video of the Ferris State University Rube Goldberg Machine: Click Here

In the modern workplace, the role of information technology continues to grow making it critical that the systems running such infrastructure are working correctly. Information Systems Management prepares students for a career in a growing number of fields requiring analytical and leadership skills. The same applications-oriented approach you find in the engineering fields, you’ll also find in the information systems classroom.

The Masters in Information Systems Management (MISM) at Ferris State University offers specializations in both information security and business intelligence making this program unlike any other in the entire United States. It is critical to all organizations to be able to ensure their computer systems are safe against vulnerabilities and cyber attacks. Therefore there is a growing demand for information security professionals who are able to respond to computer security incidents when they occur. Furthermore, a recent report from the McKinsey Institute predicts a shortage of 1.5 million business intelligence analysts by 2018. Masters of Information Systems Management graduates can qualify for up to 27 months of Optional Practical Training (OPT) thus extending the time on their visa and gaining valuable skills in the field.  Potential growth industries are medical and financial where heavy regulations and large amounts of data create a strong need for business intelligence solutions.

Through the Masters in Information Systems Management program you will develop skills in a variety of leading edge technologies such as link/visual analysis, geographic information systems, and digital forensics. Also, you will learn about the broad cultural background which provides a basis for interpreting data and its ethical use. Sound like a unique program? It is!

For more information on the MISM program, please go to:   http://catalog.ferris.edu/programs/159/

For more details on the admissions process and requirements, please go to:
http://www.ferris.edu/international/

Take time to visit the Ferris web site and check out the Virtual Tour. This tour is a unique way of learning about what the University has to offer to students, faculty, staff and community members. A lot of hard work has gone into turning the Virtual Tour from a vision to a reality.

Through the tour, visitors will have a chance to experience many different aspects of student life including dining centers (including our new Rock Cafe that is second to none for an excellent on-campus dining experience), study areas, residential life, Bulldog Athletics, recreation/fitness and more.

Take a few minutes to experience our Virtual Tour.

Graduates find jobs in a variety of industries, including chemical, plastics, pharmaceutical, environmental, paint, food, automotive, petroleum, and personal care products.

Learn more about ICT by watching this week’s program spotlight video.

The curriculum was recently recognized with a Creative Program Award by the University Continuing Education Association. An honor for outstanding new credit program, the award was bestowed upon the ISI program for its innovative course curricula.

Established in 2007 at the university’s Grand Rapids, Michigan campus, the program has expanded to Big Rapids, Traverse City and now Delta College in Midland. The multidisciplinary degree targets both corporate needs, as well as those of law enforcement, defense and intelligence organizations.

A worldwide traveler, Tartari is a tireless worker with a mission to put information about Ferris in the hands of prospective international students and their families. As part of her recruitment-abroad effort, Tartari has traveled to Brazil, Columbia, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Panama in Latin America; Belgium, France, Germany, Russia and Turkey in Europe; the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait in the Middle East; China, Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam in Asia; and Canada in North America.

That history represents a busy and ambitious schedule designed to inform prospective students about the many great things Ferris has to offer.

“I have been on travel between 12 to 15 weeks out of the year, for the past two years, trying to establish connections with students, high schools, recruiting agencies, colleges and universities abroad,” Tartari explained.

The role of an international recruiter differs from that of the more traditional domestic recruiter, according to Tartari. In appealing to international students and families, recruitment goes beyond a simple list of programs and general information. Tartari says she oftentimes must sell, to students and families, a more realistic portrayal of the United States. Images abroad, about the U.S., sometimes are heavily influenced by television and movies — some of which is real while some of it is not so realistic. Thus, selling Ferris’ strengths to a student from Brazil, China or UAE typically differs from the approach of selling the University to prospective students from areas like Chicago, Detroit or the Upper Peninsula.

Whether Tartari speaks to students and families face-to-face, by phone, via e-mail or through traditional “snail mail”, early messaging is important. In some ways the old saying: “You never get a second chance to make a first impression,” holds true for international recruiters.

“I am the first point of entry for international students,” said Tartari, who also serves as advisor to on-campus Ferris student organizations such as the Hispanic Student Organization and the International Student Organization. “International recruitment is pretty much about relationships. International students are looking for a place that they can feel good about as a destination. It’s not just academics.”

In some ways, international students are no different than the traditional students Ferris recruits. Like students from Michigan high schools, international students have interests in specific programs (typically business, technology, computers, welding and surveying); they want a place that provides social comfort and want a home away from home that is safe.

Tartari finds that, for some international students she encounters, a city and area the size of Big Rapids is a perfect fit — in contrast to universities located in larger metropolitan areas.

“It helps that we’re a small town and a safe area,” Tartari said. “For many students abroad, safety is a concern. Big Rapids is different than the image they get of the U.S. from Hollywood. That is something that Ferris has in its favor. At Ferris, we can show students they are going to be safe and feel welcomed.”

Part of the Faces of Ferris series by Sandy Gholston. Published May 21, 2010

 Contact Information: Luzia Tartari, Coordinator of International Recruitment & Admissions, tartaril@ferris.edu